Got the Camera. What Do I Buy Next?
So you’ve finally got that DSLR that you’ve been waiting months, maybe years, for – doesn’t it feel great? Only problem is, now you have it, your eyes have suddenly been opened up to the astounding plethora of accessories, add-ons and gadgets out there all pleading with you to buy them. All trying to convince you that your photographs will only ever be good if you acquire them. But beware, some of those little trinkets, they be liars! They promise the moon on a stick, when in reality they can’t even deliver the stick.
Before you part with those hard-earned greenbacks, here’s my advice on which bits of kit you should consider adding to your shopping list (and which you definitely shouldn’t) along with the reasons why…
Something To Put It In...
High Priority (Essential Purchases)
Camera Bag: Well, are you going to carry it around your neck all the time? I think not. The number of bags out there is quite astounding. Try to focus on the style of bag you want: rucksacks are good for distributing weight, shoulder bags provide fast access, messenger-style sling bags are a halfway house between the two… A little tip, always buy something that’s a bit bigger than you think you need. You’ll be running out of space before you know it. Bags are one of the few camera accessories it’s quite tricky to buy online, without actually seeing and holding it – they’re never what you expect when they arrive!
Insurance: I know – boring, right? But not as boring as being without a camera if you drop yours off a cliff-edge (I’m sure it’s happened before). You may receive certain levels of cover from your Contents Insurance – but dedicated photographic equipment insurance is something I would highly recommend. I use these guys – and although (touch wood) I’ve never had to make a claim, it’s something I wouldn’t be without. And make sure you keep your kit list up-to-date with your insurer – every new item you buy (with a value you can’t afford to write off) – add the details to your list (with photoguard you can do this online).
Tripod: This is the single most-used photographic accessory I can think of… you’ll need it for self-portraits, landscapes, macro photography, bracketed exposures (must remember to cover these in an advanced DSLR post…), long exposures… the list goes on. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an expensive Manfrotto or Gitzo when you’re starting out – I made do with one of these £10 jobbies for a while (in fact I still use this tripod as a strobe stand). Also consider picking up a cheap tabletop tripod or two (there are many uses for these – and they’re easy to pack!)
Cleaning Gear: At the very minimum, you’re going to need… lens wipes, air blower, and a lens cleaning pen/brush. Beyond that you’re getting into the serious realm of sensor cleaning (wet or dry…), and you shouldn’t really even be contemplating that at this point (I’ve had my DSLR for two years now, and have yet to clean the sensor).
Extras: That is, an extra battery (at least one – and always fully charged), and extra memory cards (at least two – in case one goes up-the-duff).
Medium Priority (Recommended Purchases)
Flashgun Action
Remote Control: Most beginner and semi-pro DSLRs have compatible infra-red remotes available for them. These allow you to take a shot from distance, without having to go through all of that 10 second timer running around pulaver. An essential purchase if you intend to take a lot of self-portraits. Also useful for taking macro shots (in place of a cable release) so you’re not shaking the camera when you press the shutter release. This is the RC-1 which I use with my 400D, and this (I believe) is the one Stu uses with his D80.
Flashgun: Sooner or later (probably sooner) you’re going to realise that the pop-up flash on your DSLR is… shall we say, ‘limited in its usefulness’? At this point you’re going to want a proper big-boy flashgun. When you reach this point I would recommend not scrimping – save up, and get the best damn flashgun you can. In the world of Canon this means the Speedlite 580EXII – yes it’s expensive, but boy is it good! It’s also tough as old boots. Failing that look on eBay for a secondhand 580EX or 550EX. Over the fence in Nikon-land you should be looking at either the Speedlight SB600 or the SB800 (or even the SB900 – if your budget stretches that far, although personally I think you’d be better off buying two SB600′s at that price).
Lenses: Something else you’ll quickly outgrow is whatever kit lens came with your camera body. When it comes to buying a second lens the things to consider are: what do I shoot most? And how versatile do I need the lens to be? If you’re looking for a better quality replacement for your kit lens, then you’ll be looking for a zoom lens somewhere in the range of 17mm – 85mm. If you want to save some money don’t discount 3rd party lenses – the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, for example, is a great little lens. If you intend to take a lot of portraits, a 50mm prime lens is a popular choice – it’s difficult to find a Canon user who doesn’t own the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 mk2 (its value and quality make it almost an essential purchase), and likewise with the Nikon equivalent.
You may want to go ultra-wide, for capturing dramatic landscapes or wacky distorted portraits – the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 is the popular choice here. Maybe you do a lot of macro photography?, in which case a Macro lens may be of most use. If you pick up a 50mm Macro lens it will double nicely as a portrait lens. The final (mainstream) option (ignoring Tilt & Shift and Fisheye lenses) is a telephoto lens. I would only really recommend a telephoto lens to someone who intended to do a lot of nature photography, the uses really are limited. We’ll be looking at lens choices in more detail soon.
Lens Hood: If you didn’t get one with your lens then you should definitely consider buying one – not only do they shield the lens from glare, but they can also provide some level of protection should you drop the camera. However, look for cheaper compatible 3rd party hoods (from companies such as Marumi) rather than paying through the nose for the brand options.
Low Priority (Non-Essential Purchases)
Remote Strobe Triggers: Use of remote flashes probably isn’t something you should be worrying about if you’ve only just got your camera. But if you must, try picking up something cheap – these are the popular choice amongst newcomers to Strobism. However, they tend to perform better with older non-ETTL flashes – they are especially problematic when it comes to Canon Speedlites (expect lots and lots of misfirings). You may prefer to hold on for the release of RadioPopper’s new JrX system. Again, we’ll be looking at ways of controlling your flashgun off-camera in more detail soon.
Filters: It could be argued that there is one filter which is an essential purchase – lots of photographers buy a UV (or Skylight) lens in order to provide protection to the lens glass. Other common filters used for Digital SLRs include Polarisers (Circular, NOT Linear – Linear Polarisers interfere with the AutoFocus systems on most modern cameras), macro filters, Neutral Density (ND) filters (used to reduce the amount of light entering the camera, thus stopping down the exposure along you to use a slower shutter speed), and ND Grads (graduated filters). We’ll be covering filters in a separate post soon.
Battery Grip: Not only is a battery grip useful because it basically doubles your camera’s battery life (by providing the means to add a second battery), but it can improve the comfort and handling of your DSLR too (while adding extra weight for stability). A small camera like the 400D (Rebel XTi) in big hands like mine can be a bit of a worry – but with the battery grip (and its extra portrait-orientated controls) it handles like a dream. However, not one to buy straight away – see how you get on with the camera in its basic form first.
Folding Angle Grip Bracket
Things to Avoid (aka: Things I Have Wasted My Money On)
Folding Grip Angle Bracket: I bought one of these because I thought it would be a useful way to shoot with the flash off-camera… I’ve never used it (apart from in the photo on the right).
Macro Filters: This is a personal choice… I know some people (Stu included) who have got great results from a set of macro filters attached to a normal lens – and it is cheaper than buying a dedicated macro lens. However, I bought a set and have only ever used one of them as a prop in a self-portrait….
I’m sure there’s more but I must have wiped them from my memory!
This is just my take on the way you should prioritise your purchases, of course – based on the lessons I have learnt. At the end of the day, you may have different priorities to me. The important thing is to think hard before any purchase (no matter how insignificant the cost) – can you do without it? Is it going to bring anything useful to the table? If not, then forget it – save your money for important things instead (like food and beer).
If any of you have a photographic item/accessory that you really couldn’t live without (or equally, one that you regret buying) – then let us know! The more we learn from each other, the less times we all have to make the same costly mistakes!! 
6 Comments to Got the Camera. What Do I Buy Next?
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Another terrific post, Paul. I have one of those completely useless folding grip angle brackets myself.
Oh dear, out of all those high priority bits n bobs, I only have a tripod . . . really enjoyed reading this post Paul – specially the things to avoid!
I used to have a huge wish list of accessories that I should get, but I have change my mindset. I think simpler is better and allows for a degree of creativity and skill to get the shot you want.
Great post BTW!
Thanks for reminding me about insurance! I just sorted mine out atlast!!
Oh and polarizers are totally essential! They’re they only filter you can’t replicate in photoshop
Good point, well made! I should really get around to getting one that fits my most used lens…
great list.
i’m looking into remote triggers for my 580EXII and looking forward to your tutorial on off-camera flashes.
(i also use the 200AW)